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WINING AND DINING IN THE BLACK The holiday season is a great time to unite and celebrate with friends , family and colleagues . It is a time to indulge and imbibe , perhaps wearing that shiny dress or fun tie that only seems appropriate during a few weeks of the year . These activities , unfortunately , can often put the ol ’ bank account in the red . Those $ 15 candle sets you buy for work gift exchanges start to add up to a whole lot of broke .
But fear not ! There are ways of getting through the celebrations without crippling the rest of your winter budget . You may party hard , as long as you party smart .
The smartest way to avoid a holiday hiccup in your party budget this year : adopt a creatively frugal approach to each party that you attend . The solution for those pricey weeks of holiday cheer is quite simple — limit your wine budget to bottles ranging from $ 12.00 to $ 20.00 . Ask any of the wine experts at Banville & Jones for their recommendation — there are lots of great options at these price points .
When going out becomes a strain , host an event for your family and friends . Invite each guest to bring
their favourite dish , and throw out a challenge for the best appetizer and wine pairing under $ 20.00 . For added creativity , ask guests to theme their pairings by wine region . For example , an Italian Bruschetta with a great Sangiovese ; or baked brie with a soft French Viognier . All the Banville & Jones staff need to know is what you are serving , and what you like , and they can help find the perfect match .
If you are feeling especially eager to find new wines , ask our wine experts to recommend two or three affordable wines , give you a run down on each , and you can host your very own wine tasting — a classy event that doesn ’ t have to break your budget .
Wining and dining in the black can be a reality for you this season . Who knows ? It might even spice up your social calendar at the same time .
Until next time , happy holidays to you , and to your pocketbook . � we recommend
Holiday hosting duties can be a pricy affair . You should always have a little something on hand to offer invited or drop-in guests , but it gets expensive to continually replenish the wine rack . You can keep your budget in check and be a stellar host with Similkameen Superior NV Red or White . These wines come in airtight packaging so you have a steady supply to offer guests right through the holiday season .
This BC wine is available at Banville & Jones in two sizes . The 1.5 litre size is only $ 13.99 ( equivalent to 2 regular 750ml bottles of wine ). If you want it to last right into the new year , splurge and grab the 4 litre size for $ 33.99 ( that works out to roughly $ 6.50 per bottle !). � www . banvilleandjones . com 47